Mile Marker 16: Thankful

So excited about CiCi's Pizza!

I have days like today when I am overwhelmingly thankful for my life, the people in my life, and the decisions that have brought me to this.       exact.      moment.

I grew up in a Christian home.  For most of my life, I went to the same church.  In fact, it is really the only church I remember ever going to until college.  My favorite thing that I learned there and the thing that I repeat to EVERYONE (Because I can kiiiiind of  be a broken record and it also applies to. well. everything.) is:

obedience brings the blessing

Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you that I have always been obedient to every single thing that my authority has ever told me. While I was always my parent's perfect little angel and one and only pride and joy (HAH, yeah, I can say that because this blog belongs to me and not my three other siblings), that's just not the truth.

Cool kids on vacation in St. Louis.

I was a typical kid who didn't listen.  It wasn't until my later years in high school and when I graduated that this lesson really sunk in.  

Senior picture with dark hair

Maybe it was because I was freaking out about being an adult or because I'm a pro at learning from other people's mistakes or maybe it was due to the fact that I have an amazing set of parents who showed me that they want the best for me.  Whatever the combination of factors that occurred, it became very important to me that I had not only my parents permission but my parents blessing for the decisions I made. As hard as it might have been, I heeded their instruction when they cautioned me and flat out said "no".

I honestly believe that God blesses obedience. 

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Luke 11:28  

Basically...
I am beyond thankful for where I am.  I am a people pleaser to the core.  I have wanted the approval of people (and I honestly still do this to an extent) all my life.  As far as college goes, it wasn't until I had really set my priorities straight and figured out how to reach that goal that I could get out from underneath the pressure to stay where I was.

College Graduation

When I think about the different crushes I had growing up (I didn't date because #1 I didn't have anyone asking, but #2 it wasn't allowed in our house), I just think about how I used to try to change myself to be more of what I thought that guy wanted.  (Obviously, that only ended up with me being disappointed when the guy started dating some else.) Now I look at the man that I have been blessed to spend the rest of my life with, and I am SO thankful that I settling for 2nd best wasn't an option.  

The best day of my life.

I just have to share this excerpt from the other night about my sweet sweet man.  We were eating dinner (without the t.v. on which is a rare occurrence with us), and we were talking about our parents, their lives, kids, and all that comes along with it. (In case you haven't heard, we want babies.  Like. Now.)  Kody says, "I just really want to be the kind of dad that tells his kids how proud he is of them."  I mean, GAH! He is going to be the best father.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I have ventured away from my subject and talked about things that weren't in my mind to blog about originally, BUT!  The point is that I am thankful.  I'm thankful to serve a God who is loving, good, and faithful. I'm thankful to have a husband who is patient, kind, and funny.  I'm thankful to have 2 incredible families who are supportive and God-fearing.

I am thankful for my life.

Have you thought about the things in your life that you are thankful for?  What are they?  If you haven't thought about it for a while, do it! It might just change your perspective on things.

xoxo,
Linda

Mile Marker 15: Truth and Love and Legacy

Wow.  I logged in to my Bloglovin' (maybe you should go on over and follow my blog) account to catch up on today's new posts, and I am just amazed at what I've read.  I believe that God purposefully orchestrates things to encourage when you need it the most.  And that's exactly what happened this morning.

For some reason, I have a really hard time believing people when they compliment or encourage me.  I chalk it up to them just "being nice".

Needless to say, this drives my husband completely nutso.  He is seriously the most loving, patient, and encouraging man that I have ever met.  He is all the good things that I am not...and somehow (thank you, Jesus) he fell in love with and married me.

Because I mentioned my husband, I know you wanted to see a wedding picture... :)

Just last night we were talking about truth.  I stared so hard into Kody's eyes just searching for that magical flashing neon light that says "believe it". (because we all know that neon lights exist behind eye balls)


I was reading a blog today that was talking about overcoming lies.  She asks the question, "if you don't know what the Truth is, how can you believe it?".  I know that self-esteem, confidence, passion, joy, all of these things stem from a daily relationship with Christ.  I, as awful as it sounds, lose sight of that from time to time, beat myself up about it, and sink lower and lower thinking that I am unworthy to believe the truth.

See, I forget that my identity is found in Christ.  I search so hard for it in my husband, in my friends, in my family when I really need to be searching Christ.

Isaiah 43:1

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

I also struggle with why Christ would want me, this over-analytical, impatient, forgetful, cray cray girl by his side.  Then I remember...

God is love.

I Corinthians 13:4-7

 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

God loves me at my worst.  All those things that in my head would distance me from him, are the things that draw me to him, remind me of his greatness, and reiterate what a loving God I have.

Psalm 103:15-17 

As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children.

It's that love that makes me want to be more like him.  He is solid and never changing.

In high school, my anthem was love.  The songs I picked for worship had to do with God's love.  I'd do anything for anybody to show them I loved them, even if I felt like I was being taken advantage of.  If I were to only meet a person one time, what I would hope that they would remember would be that I loved them.

I feel like I started to lose that part way through college.  Leaving for college was a major turning point in my life, and I started having to deal with some things (relationships, fears, wounds).  I got bitter about them, and while I worked through a lot, there are still areas where I let my bitterness speak instead of my love.

It's been for too long.  It's time reset.  I want to serve in love.  I want love to me my life's message.  I want to leave a legacy of love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

  
Well, thanks for taking a few moments out to listen to what is on my heart today.  There is nothing as refreshing to my spirit as scripture.  I hope you find these passages encouraging today.  For me, I need to start planting these words in my heart, so that they bear fruit in my actions.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

xoxo,
Linda